Snowmobile clubs have groomers, costing between $18,000 to more than $200,000. Somebody has to pay for those.
Somebody has to get landowner permission for the trail on the owner’s land.
Somebody has to be out at all hours of the night grooming the trails.
Somebody has to maintain the groomers.
Somebody has to see that all the bills are paid.
Somebody has to put out “fires” caused by a sledder who did not stay on the marked trail through the landowner’s property.
Somebody has to put in numerous hours to mark and put up trail signs.
Somebody has to go out each and every time there is a hard wind blow and cut out the trees and branches that fall into the trails. And God forbid another ice storm.
How do clubs receive money? By holding suppers or other events, a dance, raffles, plus a small portion of snow machine registration.
But the one thing that hurts all clubs is the freemobiler.
For those who can’t be a “somebody,” and not all can, people can do their part by joining the club where they ride or the town where they live. That can make the difference on whether a club makes it or not.
Please don’t be a freemobiler. Somebody has all of the above to do. All anyone needs to do is join. It is a small price to pay for all the miles (1,400 in Maine), a snowmobiler can enjoy.
Jon Holmes, Dixfield
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